There has been a remarkable increase in recent years in the number of private standards developed by private companies and non-governmental organizations. The increase of these private standards has a significant impact on international trade, thus creating an obstacle for exporters from developing country World Trade Organization (WTO) Members. For this reason, there have also been many controversial discussions on the issue of private standards in WTO Committees as well as in other international fora. In the WTO context, the most frequently asked question is whether private standards are covered by WTO agreements such as the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade or Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. This article will discuss whether private standards are regulated under these agreements and whether they can be challenged under the WTO.
Global Trade and Customs Journal